US Launches ICBM... 'Test at Improvement Level'

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The United States has test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) without a warhead.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The U.S. Air Force announced on the 5th (local time) that it test-fired a new type of atmospheric reentry vehicle-equipped intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) 'Minuteman 3.' This ICBM was not equipped with a warhead.

The U.S. Air Force stated in a press release that the Minuteman 3 was launched at 12:30 a.m. (Pacific Time) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and reached the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands after passing over the Pacific Ocean. The 'warhead-removed' missile carries an object of the same weight as an actual warhead and does not explode upon reaching the target.

The Air Force stated that this launch was a developmental test launch. They elaborated that it was different from the routine test launch conducted on October 2 of last year.

The Air Force also repeatedly emphasized that this test launch was pre-planned and was not a reaction or response to any international incident or regional tension.

Colonel Omar Colbert said, "The Minuteman 3 is aging, and modernization programs like this are essential to ensure that our country maintains a reliable nuclear deterrent."

This experiment came just one day after the U.S. announced the deployment of submarines equipped with low-yield nuclear warheads. Analysts view this as an example of the U.S. upgrading various nuclear weapons to strengthen its nuclear capabilities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.